N-acetylcysteine, when combined with group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cravings, and depression significantly more than CBT alone in veterans with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder, a particularly difficult-to-treat population, according to the findings of a randomised controlled pilot trial conducted by researchers at the Medical University of [...]
Common anti-cholesterol drugs show promise for reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a University of Southern California-led (USC) study of medicare data reveals. The new study shows that, based on a sample of 399,979 medicare beneficiaries, men and women who took statins two years or more lowered their risk of Alzheimer’s disease in the period [...]
Multi-million pound compensation claims against GPs and consultants in private practice have risen three-fold over the last decade, the Medical Defence Union (MDU) has revealed. In 2015, the MDU settled 12 compensation claims for more than £1 million on behalf of its GP and consultant members. By contrast in 2005, just four settled claims exceeded [...]
Scientists on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed broad methods to design precision medicines against currently incurable diseases caused by RNA. RNA carries out thousands of essential functions in cells, but many RNAs can act in uncontrolled ways and cause disease. For decades, scientists have tried to develop drug candidates [...]
A joint study conducted by researchers from the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester has found a link between birth defects and certain types of epilepsy medication. For most women who have epilepsy, continuing their medication during pregnancy is important for their health. Over the last 25 years, research has shown that children exposed to these [...]
Shipping vaccines in an unbroken temperature-controlled supply chain (a ‘cold chain’) all the way to recipients is a major logistical and financial challenge in remote areas and developing countries. According to Doctors Without Borders, the need to keep vaccines within a temperature range of 2 to 8°C is one of the main factors behind low [...]
More than two-thirds of adolescents who suffer from depression could see long-term benefits from receiving one of three psychological treatments – of which only one is currently recommended on the NHS – according to research published in The Lancet Psychiatry. Depression affects around one in 20 adolescents, causing considerable suffering and potentially affecting relationships and [...]
Ulster University, in collaboration with leading international medical companies, has developed a pioneering mobile device that can diagnose a range of bacterial infections on the spot, including strep throat and urinary tract infection, helping to address the major global health concern of antibiotic resistance. According to the World Health Organisation, the overuse and inappropriate use [...]
An interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed a smart patch designed to monitor a patient’s blood and release blood-thinning drugs as needed to prevent the occurrence of dangerous blood clots – a condition known as thrombosis. In an animal model, the patch was shown to be more effective at preventing thrombosis than traditional methods of [...]
Employees are risking their health by delaying or missing GP appointments, with nearly a fifth, some 3.3 million, failing to see a GP due to work, with a third admitting this had worsened their medical problems. These are the key findings of new YouGov research, commissioned by digital healthcare company Doctor Care Anywhere and backed [...]
